Just a couple of really good news stories from my local area. Last night the good people of Monroe managed to stop the closure of their local school. Hurrah for them. Monroe is a close-knit town that has lost it’s general store within the last 10 years. (I wish I were in the 1% so I could buy the building and reopen it.) Thus losing one of the gathering places in this farming town. The loss of it’s local elementary school would have been a huge hit to the community. Small local schools are the hearts of many rural communities. I am very grateful that this one will stay open a little longer.

The second piece of good news is the opening of a food processing facility in Belfast. Jan Anderson has worked toward this goal for quite a while now and it is finally a reality. A place in the local area that farmers can use to make “value added” products from their farm produce. A place that will make really local food products that can hold their value long enough to get sold. A place that will continue to revitalize the local farming community.

Yes it’s all about community. People helping, talking, supporting, even arguing but in the end working together to build local resilience. I feel very fortunate to live in such a place.